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Munshi Premchand Translated stories Big Brother (Bade Bhaisahab) Posted on February 16, 2018February 19, 2018 My elder brother was 5 years older than me. Though we started schooling at same age he was only three grades ahead me. When it comes to important subject like education only devil could rus...

Munshi Premchand Translated stories Big Brother (Bade Bhaisahab) Posted on February 16, 2018February 19, 2018 My elder brother was 5 years older than me. Though we started schooling at same age he was only three grades ahead me. When it comes to important subject like education only devil could rush him. He was a perfectionist and he wanted his basics be strong enough to support a skyscraper. He took 2 years to complete the work of one year. It was usual to extend work to third year too. If base is not strong where are to going to make building! I was younger, he was elder. When I was nine, he was fourteen. He had a birth right to keep an eye on my doings. It was for my own good to take his order as law. He was studious from his vary nature. Always reading some book. To give his brain some relief he drew pictures of birds, dogs, cats on books and notebooks. He sometimes write a name or a word or a sentence ten twenty times in a row. He even copied praise multiple times in calligraphic fonts. He also invented words which have neither meaning nor consonance. Some of the words that I saw – special, amina, brother-brother, act-tually, brother-brother, radheshyam, for one hour – next to this was a pictured face of a man. I tried to decipher but in vain, and I lacked courage to ask him. He was in ninth grade and I was in fifth grade. To understand his creations, I first need to reach his level. My heart was not at all for studying. To study for one hour was next to climbing a mountain. I always seek opportunities to leave hostel and reach playground. Sometimes I throw pebbles, on other I made paper butterflies and if found a friend of mine then my day was made. We Climbed walls, ride a plank pretending to be a motorcar. When I reach within wall, rage on the face of my brother steals every breath away from me. “Where were you?” Always same question, in the exact same tone and only answer that I have had was silence. I don’t know why I could not answer him that I was playing in the park. My silence proved my guilt. Big brother didn’t have any ailment other than to give to drink of the affection and fury. “If this is the way how you read English, then forget about learning even a single praise in this lifetime. Learning English is not a joke that some thievery can learn. No! You have to poke your eyes day-night and burn your blood only then you have command on this mode. And then it comes, yes, comes in saying. Even renowned scholars don’t have perfection in writing and grammar! Speaking is a distant dream. And I have to say, what a snail you are that you are not taking a lesson from me. You see how much hardwork I do, if you don’t, and then it is a mistake of your eyes, of your intelligence. How filthy – only jokers are, have you ever seen me, everyday there are countless crickets and hockey matches, I don’t even get close. I’m always reading, even on that I spend two-two, three-three years in same grade then how are you expecting to pass spending time on playing? I take only two or three years in a grade, you’ll take your whole lifetime. If you prefer to waste your life like this then it is better to go home and play hit-the-stick. Don’t waste fathers hard earn money.” After this sarcasm I could not hold tears. What answer did I have? I was the culprit, who got to be punished? Big brother was perfect in art of punishing. His words were sharper than knife, my heart got sliced into a million pieces and my flying confidence crashes on ground. I could not find enough energy in myself to work soul selling hard and in the sadness, I wonder, shall I return back home? Why should I start something which I can’t finish; I was ready to accept my foolishness but that much hard work! I can’t handle. But after one two hour of depression I decide to give my head and heart to studying. And instantly a time table was ready. How to start working without any plan, without any scheme? And I didn’t leave space for playing. Waking up early, getting ready by 6, and after finishing breakfast it’s time to study. From 6 to 8 study English, 8 to 9 Mathematics, 9 to 9:30 History, then leaving for school. Half an hour for rest after returning home. From 4 to 5 Geography, 5 to 6 for grammar, half an hour of walk in hostel park, from 6:30 to 7 English comprehension, after dinner 8 to 9 for translation, 9 to 10 for Hindi, 10 to 11 for miscellaneous exercises. Then rest. But better said than done. From the very first day I was unable to implement time-table. Playgrounds beautiful green grass, light breeze of wind, energy of football match, smacks of kabaddi, swiftness of volleyball was lot more attractive to me. And only god could stop once I was in playground, and big brother again gets a chance to scold me. I always try to not to look in his eyes. I somehow tip-toe in room. The way he looked at me and I my breath was lost. I was living under blade. Just like a man at the moment of justice hangs between disillusions and temptations, I was ready to bear any sarcasm and punishment but not giving up playing. Annual examinations were held. Big brother failed, I passed. I stood first in my grade. Big brother was now only two grades ahead me. I was almost ready to tease big brother but he was so sad that I dropped the idea. I felt bad for him and bit ashamed for having such thoughts. Yes, I felt bit proud and confident now. Big brother could not boast me like he used to. I was free to play at my will. My heart was strong. If he tried to stop me, I would say it straight – did all the hard work worked for you? I stood first in my grade like that. Though I never had courage to say something like that, it was clear from my colours that he had lost his terror on me. Big brother had already sensed it – his common sense was clearer than a crystal and one day when I returned at dinner giving all my time to hit-the-stick, big brother raged louder than a thunder – Time will tell, you passed your exams and stood first this year, you thought it to be all; but my brother, pride pays the price, who are you? you pretty well know what happened to Ravana. What message did you take from his character? Or you passed it like that? Passing your exams is not a big deal, big deal is to make your brain grow. Know what you understand and understand what you know. Ravana was master of Earth. He was respected by every king alive. Mighty lords were his slaves; but could he prevent his death? His endless pride swallowed him, when his time came no one was there to give him some water. Man should do whatever he wants; but not pride. Try it, and you are gone. Devil must have had his hands on him. He lived in a belief that he is the only devotee of god, no one else could match his devotion. In the end he was pushed from doors of haven to hell. Saheroop was a narcissist. He died pleading for help. You have just passed a grade and you are already flying. Keep this in mind that you have not passed by your hard work, blind got a treasure. A blind may find a treasure once but it is unlikely to he’ll found it again. Even novice players may hit a score in game but that don’t makes him an expert player. Good players are those who don’t miss even a single shot. Don’t take my situation seriously. Once you’ll be in my grade you’ll have to eat stone. Concepts of Algebra and geometry will seem alien and history of England not any relevant. You are supposed to remember names of emperors. There are more than 8 Henry ‘s in a row – which Henry did what scandal is not a cream on cake. And if you wrote Henry VII instead of Henry VIII, a big zero! Not even a single mark! Are you in your wits! There been dozens of James, dozens of Charles and gross Carl’s! Brain got infected by gout. Incomprehensible names those poor men. Someone once had figure once, tens, hundreds, thousands before his name. If they have asked me I would have offered them a million names. And only god knows geometry! If you wrote A B J instead of A J B and you get nothing. And no one asks what the difference between them to these callous mindless and why are you murdering innocent kids for some nonsense. I ate Rice-Lentils-Roti, I ate Roti- Rice-lentils, what is the point? They wants us to cram each word from the book. This is all left on the name of education and what is the point to such p-o-i-n-t-l-e-s-s nonsense? Draw a perpendicular on that line, then base length becomes twice the original. Ask, what reason does it have, not twice, but quadice or left half of original, with my might, but you are also supposed to pass exams. They ask to ‘Write a passage on Time Restricted Goals’ in not less than four pages. Having a notebook opened, a pen in hand, now cry for it in each line. No one knows time restricted goals are very good. It brings discipline in life, many people find it attractive and it is very beneficial for business; But how to write full four pages on this miniature topic? I can express it in little more a sentence, why to write a treatise on it? I take it as autocracy. It is not efficient use of time rather a bloody misuse of it to stuff it with useless words. We want people keep talks straight, to the point and then mind their own business. But no, you have to colour four pages, by hook or crook. And pages were not of any smaller scale. How is it not torturing? But true disaster is that we are asked to write it in brief. Write a passage in brief on Time Restricted Goals that must not be less than fullscale four pages. Great! They are just asking for four pages in brief, no, no it must have be hundred– two hundred pages in brief. Run fast but slow, slow. What kind of thing is this? Even a child can understand such a simple thing, but those examiners don’t have a pinch on sense. They take no shame in remarking that they are teachers. Once you are in my grade sir, you’ll have to do this donkeywork and then you’ll come to know price of bread. Cut the wings that you have on being first in this grade and listen to me. No doubt I failed, but I am elder than you, I have more experience of this world. Whatever I told you, learn or regret later. Clock almost showed school time, no God knows, when will this lecture end. Food was served but it felt tasteless. Such a disdain on being first, failure may have resulted in my murder. The image education my brother induced in his grade terrified me. It was surprising that I didn’t left school. But even this scale of humiliation could not make me interested in books. I never missed an opportunity to be in playground. I studied too, next to none. I studied enough to complete everyday’s task and not to get insulted in grade. All the confidence that I have had, died and yet again I was living like a thief. Annual examination held again, and such a coincidence happened that I passed and big brother failed yet again. Although I didn’t worked that hard but I stood first again. I was amazed. Big brother work fatally hard and tasted every word of course; left of 10 pm; right of 4 pm , 6 to 9 before going to school. He had become so numb, yet poor brother failed. I felt pity for him. When final result was announced, he started crying and I started crying too. The happiness of my being first left half. If I have had failed, big brother didn’t felt that bad, but who can change the done. Big brother was now one grade ahead me. A devious feeling emerged in my heart that if big brother failed again, I would then be in his grade. On what base will he bash me, but I somehow forced this thought out of my head. He scolds me in my interest. I don’t like it of course, but I think it was due to his teachings I pass every exam and with good grades. Big brother softened a bit. Even though he got many opportunities to check me, but he worked with patience. He may have understood that he didn’t have the authority to do so; or if left, only a little. I started measuring his tolerance. I spend some irrational hypothesis that I study or not, I will pass anyway. My fortune is so strong; the little bit study that I used to do by the fear of big brother was too stopped. I found myself a new hobby, kitesurfing. And now all of my time was not submitted for it, but I never lost my regard for big brother and I never surfed kites in front of him. To give manjas, to give kanne, kite tournaments all such problems were solved in secrecy. I didn’t wanted big brother to suspect that I don’t respect him anymore. One day in the evening far from hostel I was chasing a kite. My eyes were at sky and heart looking at her, she was flying in the mild breeze, whispering a love song in my ears. I was flying with her on the ground. An army of kids were chasing her with madness; and they were welcoming her with bushy bamboo stick. No one had a sense of surroundings. Everyone was flying with her in infinite planes, there is neither motor car, no tram nor cars. Abruptly I smashed with big brother, he maybe was returning from bazaar. He held my hand and said– how can you be with these street kids chasing a kite? Don’t you have a little bit sense that you are not a small grade anymore? you are now in 8th grade, only a grade less than me. What kinds of person are those who don’t know their position? There was a time when 8th graders were niab tehsildars. I know countless middlemen who are now deputy magistrate or superintendents. Many journalists and writes have just passed 8th grade. Big names work under them and you in that same grade, running for a kite with street kids. I pity your foolishness. You are smart, I have no doubt; but what is that smartness worth when it don’t bring dignity? You probably think that I’m now only one grade below big brother, he does not have any right to tell me anything; it is your mistake. I am five years elder than you and if you came in my grade today and- if teachers won’t change then certainly you will be with me. The next year you may even surpass me- but the difference of age between you and me, it won’t diminish, even by the might of god. No matter even you become M.Phil, M.A, D. Phil. I have a lot more experience of this world and I will always have. Textbooks don’t implies wisdom. Our mother never attended school and father ditched it after fifth-sixth grade, but if we study all the knowledge of this world they will always have right to explain and check our doings. Not because they are our parents but because they know a lot of things that you and I don’t know. What kind of legislature does America has and how many wives did Henry VIII had and how many constellations are there in sky, they may don’t know answer to these, but there are millions of little things they know far better than you and I. May not do the fortunes, if I got sick today, you’ll be overtaken by panic. I don’t think you can do anything besides telling father; but if it were father, he won’t even shake, won’t panic at all. He will try to identify disease himself, if it didn’t work, he will call a doctor. I’m maybe exaggerating. But you and I don’t even know how to set a budget. The entire money father sends, we use it up within twenty days and then try to save every penny we get. Breakfast stops, we start avoiding laundryman and tailor. You should get it the money we spend, our father used to manage in half the money in his boyhood. Take our headmaster as example. He is qualified Master of Arts, not from here, but from oxford. He earns 1000 rupees, but who does all the other works? His old mother does. Headmaster degree was next to none here. His debt was increasing every day. The day his mother entered, lakshmi blessed the home. So, mister don’t live in a false perception that you are anyway near me and gained independence. You’ll never deplete in life till the day I’m alive. If you don’t understand (showing his hand) I won’t recede from using this. I know, you are feeling bitter… I was spell-bound by his tactics. Today I realized my minuteness and I felt something for big brother from heart. I said with hydrous eyes – No! Whatever you say is truth and you have right to say it. Big brother hugged me and spoke – I don’t say not to fly kites. I too want to do it, but, I’m bound, if I myself am deflected then how would then I can protect you? This duty is to mine. Coincidentally, a lose kite flew over our head. Its thread was hanging. An army of boys were chasing her. Big brother is high enough, he snatched the thread and started running recklessly towards hostel. I was running behind him. 3 thoughts on “Big Brother (Bade Bhaisahab)”